REPORT: Ford Edge Production Continuation Wasn't Possible

[ice-capades]

REPORT: Ford Edge Production Continuation Wasn't Possible

https://fordauthority.com/2024/04/ford-edge-production-continuation-wasnt-possible-report/

 

 

Back in the fall of 2020, Ford and the Canadian union Unifor reached a new contract agreement containing terms that went far beyond the typical pay raises and improvements to benefits. In fact, this new deal set in motion some major changes for the automaker’s Oakville Assembly plant, which at the time produced two vehicles – the Ford Edge and Lincoln Nautilus. This new deal laid out plans to retool the plant for the production of all-electric vehicles in the future, and since then, production of the redesigned 2024 Nautilus has moved to China, while Edge production is slated to end later this month. Given the fact that The Blue Oval just announced that it’s delaying the start of Ford Explorer EV production at Oakville from 2025 to 2027, many wondered why Ford Edge production wasn’t extended, but it seems as if such a move just isn’t possible, according to a new report from Automotive News.

 

 

According to this report, Unifor workers at the Oakville plant received a memo informing them that FoMoCo “did extensive study into the possibility of extending” Ford Edge production at the facility following its decision to delay production of the forthcoming North American Explorer EV. However, it ultimately came to the conclusion that – due to “supply case constraints and emissions requirements” – that it was best served to continue its plans to begin retooling the plant in Q2 of 2024. According to the memo, this delay “allows us to improve vehicle quality and benefit our customers by leveraging emerging battery and other technologies.”

 

In the meantime, it’s unclear what workers at Oakville will be tasked with doing for the next couple of years, though Ford did note that it “will work with Unifor to mitigate the impact the launch delay will have on its workforce at Oakville.” “We value our Canadian teammates and appreciate that this delay will have an impact on this excellent team,” Ford CEO Jim Farley added. “We are fully committed to manufacturing in Canada and believe this decision will help us build a profitably growing business for the long term.” Regardless, Unifor wasn’t exactly pleased with this delay, as Ford Authority reported yesterday.

 

 

“Unifor is extremely disappointed by the company’s decision. Our members have done nothing but build best-in-class vehicles for Ford Motor Company and they deserve certainty in the company’s future production plans,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “I want to be very clear here. Our members can be assured that we will push the company to explore every single possible opportunity to lessen the impact of this decision on them and their families.”

Edited April 5 by ice-capades
Additional Content

[rmc523]

I'd guess the stampings are probably worn out (11 years old now) and they don't want to pay for new ones.

[mackinaw]

And the fact the contracts the parts suppliers have signed all expire about now.  I'm sure they've already signed new contracts with other OEM's to supply parts.  

[akirby]

8 minutes ago, mackinaw said:

And the fact the contracts the parts suppliers have signed all expire about now.  I'm sure they've already signed new contracts with other OEM's to supply parts.  

This.  Stampings are easy to replace.

[jpd80]

Honestly, put the 3- row things back at Cuautitlan and give Oakville something better to build

on a faster timetable.

[edselford]

Oakville should be retooled to produce a ford version of the 2024 Lincoln Nautilus hybrid.

There is a good market for a modern three row Edge, smaller than the Explorer.

Only offer it as a hybrid AWD.

This will keep customers in fords until the revised Explorer hybrid is ready.

Nautalus already built in China on a modified Edge platform.

hybrids maintain freedom of movement without restrictions!

edselford

[edselford]

All future vehicle platforms need to be able to have both hybrid and EV versions without reinventing the wheel each time!

edselford

[balthisar]

It takes years to develop a new model vehicle, and even if the vehicle already exists in, say, China, it still takes years to design and build the assembly processes and systems. It's actually faster to wait for the U759 tools to show up than to start retooling for some other project.

 

In the past we've moved entire production facilities with existing tooling. For example, Expedition production moved from Wayne to Louisville very quickly in order to make room in Wayne/MAP (nee MTP) for other products. I don't have any idea why we'd need to do that right now, though. It'd be interesting to read others' ideas.

 

[akirby]

4 hours ago, edselford said:

All future vehicle platforms need to be able to have both hybrid and EV versions without reinventing the wheel each time!

edselford

There are no future ICE platforms.  C2 and CD6 is here and perfectly capable.

[joseodiaga4]

4 minutes ago, akirby said:

There are no future ICE platforms.  C2 and CD6 is here and perfectly capable.

Wasn't CD6 a complicated/conflictive platform that has generated many problems in the Explorer an Aviator? 🤔

[Oac98]

4 hours ago, balthisar said:

It takes years to develop a new model vehicle, and even if the vehicle already exists in, say, China, it still takes years to design and build the assembly processes and systems. It's actually faster to wait for the U759 tools to show up than to start retooling for some other project.

 

In the past we've moved entire production facilities with existing tooling. For example, Expedition production moved from Wayne to Louisville very quickly in order to make room in Wayne/MAP (nee MTP) for other products. I don't have any idea why we'd need to do that right now, though. It'd be interesting to read others' ideas.

 

Where is U760??? What’s going on with the Lincoln version? It seems to be taking ford way longer than two years since these products were announced in 2019. I hope this delay is worth it. 3 years later to release a garbage low selling product will be an ABJECT FAILURE! 

[Oac98]

4 hours ago, balthisar said:

It takes years to develop a new model vehicle, and even if the vehicle already exists in, say, China, it still takes years to design and build the assembly processes and systems. It's actually faster to wait for the U759 tools to show up than to start retooling for some other project.

 

In the past we've moved entire production facilities with existing tooling. For example, Expedition production moved from Wayne to Louisville very quickly in order to make room in Wayne/MAP (nee MTP) for other products. I don't have any idea why we'd need to do that right now, though. It'd be interesting to read others' ideas.

 

I’ve also seen a small u759 training cell set up in Body 1 at OAC that is now chained off. I’m sure you know about that.

[akirby]

2 hours ago, joseodiaga4 said:

Wasn't CD6 a complicated/conflictive platform that has generated many problems in the Explorer an Aviator? 🤔

Nothing wrong with the platform,  just the factory.

[ice-capades]

7 minutes ago, akirby said:

Nothing wrong with the platform,  just the factory.

 

The Final Jeopardy answer... What is CAP?

Edited April 6 by ice-capades

[joseodiaga4]

14 hours ago, Oac98 said:

Where is U760??? What’s going on with the Lincoln version? It seems to be taking ford way longer than two years since these products were announced in 2019. I hope this delay is worth it. 3 years later to release a garbage low selling product will be an ABJECT FAILURE! 

Hope U760 is not cancelled
So far we have only heard about the U759

Edited April 7 by joseodiaga4

[ExplorerDude]

3 hours ago, joseodiaga4 said:

Hope U760 is not canceled
So far we have only heard about the U759

U760 was up for BOD review in March. It was red flagged. Which means it was reviewed and discussed for possible cancellation. I don’t know the outcome of that meeting or decision yet. There is a difference as U759 was delayed, U760 might have been shelved indefinitely.

 

Lincoln has pretty much said they won’t go the EV route for the foreseeable future. I don’t think Lincoln’s customer would support and/or buy it.

 

It’s a real shame as it’s definitely the nicer of the two.

Edited April 7 by ExplorerDude

[Ares]

Not to go off topic, but since it was mentioned here, what are the odds that CD6 will ever be used for anything beyond the current Explorer/Aviator? Weren’t the original Edge/Nautilus redesigns going to utilize the platform? I wonder if there’s any regrets scrapping those since the EV delays. 

[jpd80]

17 minutes ago, Ares said:

Not to go off topic, but since it was mentioned here, what are the odds that CD6 will ever be used for anything beyond the current Explorer/Aviator? Weren’t the original Edge/Nautilus redesigns going to utilize the platform? I wonder if there’s any regrets scrapping those since the EV delays. 

Zero chance, CD6 Edge/Aviator was a late scrapping because the styling had serious issues 

so, money already spent plus extending CD4 until now, that boat has well and truly sailed.

 

Its sad but the money that was wasted on developing CD6 should have gone into Aussie Falcon / Territory

line of vehicles that could have supported everything from Mustang, Falcon, Fairlane to Edge /Explorer

as well as a pickup but Mulally would have none of it.

 

[Footballfan]

3 hours ago, jpd80 said:

Zero chance, CD6 Edge/Aviator was a late scrapping because the styling had serious issues 

so, money already spent plus extending CD4 until now, that boat has well and truly sailed.

 

Its sad but the money that was wasted on developing CD6 should have gone into Aussie Falcon / Territory

line of vehicles that could have supported everything from Mustang, Falcon, Fairlane to Edge /Explorer

as well as a pickup but Mulally would have none of it.

 

Was it Mulally or Hackett? 

[pffan1990]

4 hours ago, ExplorerDude said:

U760 was up for BOD review in March. It was red flagged. Which means it was reviewed and discussed for possible cancellation. I don’t know the outcome of that meeting or decision yet. There is a difference as U759 was delayed, U760 might have been shelved indefinitely.

 

What is BOD review? It's a shame that the U760 'Star' may have been shelved as I liked the concept of it. Also, not to take this off topic, but do you know what Ford has planned for the 60th anniversary event on the 17th? Any particular packages/trims reveal or is it just a celebration and then the '60th Anniversary' GT package, as expected? Thanks.

 

3 hours ago, jpd80 said:

Its sad but the money that was wasted on developing CD6 should have gone into Aussie Falcon / Territory

line of vehicles that could have supported everything from Mustang, Falcon, Fairlane to Edge /Explorer

as well as a pickup but Mulally would have none of it.

 

It really is a shame that Mulally didn't approve the global rear drive platform for the vehicles you mentioned. This would have fit his One Ford vision he set out to do. Looking back, it's also easier to say that Ford should have redesigned the 2020 Explorer onto the C2 platform, along with the Edge/Nautilus at some point. The Evos (likely with a different name for America) would be great addition here too. By now, these C2 vehicles could each have hybrids too.

[joseodiaga4]

9 hours ago, ExplorerDude said:

U760 was up for BOD review in March. It was red flagged. Which means it was reviewed and discussed for possible cancellation. I don’t know the outcome of that meeting or decision yet. There is a difference as U759 was delayed, U760 might have been shelved indefinitely.

 

Lincoln has pretty much said they won’t go the EV route for the foreseeable future. I don’t think Lincoln’s customer would support and/or buy it.

 

It’s a real shame as it’s definitely the nicer of the two.

Sad to read it, Hope it is not shelved.

 

Maybe the current customers won’t go the EV route but this could be a way to attract new customers, specially in China, after all, from what I have been reading, almost all the new brands and products are EVs or Hybrids in China.

Not having a EV or any Hybrid option in the last few years is one of the reasons Lincoln is not doing well anymore

Edited April 7 by joseodiaga4

[balthisar]

On 4/6/2024 at 3:26 PM, Oac98 said:

I’ve also seen a small u759 training cell set up in Body 1 at OAC that is now chained off. I’m sure you know about that.

 

I know we shipped a training cell, but I'd have no idea whether it's chained up or not. We don't have a launch team on site yet. And, well, it'll be at least two years until they arrive.

[Oac98]

1 hour ago, balthisar said:

 

I know we shipped a training cell, but I'd have no idea whether it's chained up or not. We don't have a launch team on site yet. And, well, it'll be at least two years until they arrive.

It’s installed and I walked around it and took a look. The stairs to access it are chained off with a small chain. I found it interesting that I only seen u759 on the new computers and machinery and no u760. I really hope this delay is for the better. People are worried and upset at the plant. 

[Oac98]

On 4/7/2024 at 6:09 AM, joseodiaga4 said:

Sad to read it, Hope it is not shelved.

 

Maybe the current customers won’t go the EV route but this could be a way to attract new customers, specially in China, after all, from what I have been reading, almost all the new brands and products are EVs or Hybrids in China.

Not having a EV or any Hybrid option in the last few years is one of the reasons Lincoln is not doing well anymore

It will be a shame if Ford can’t produce a competitive electric Lincoln. All I have seen is rumors then cancellations. Rivian based Lincoln cancelled, Lincoln Corsair-e cancelled, and now it’s uncertain what Lincoln will even do going forward. This is ridiculous.

[Oac98]

On 4/6/2024 at 8:38 PM, ExplorerDude said:

U760 was up for BOD review in March. It was red flagged. Which means it was reviewed and discussed for possible cancellation. I don’t know the outcome of that meeting or decision yet. There is a difference as U759 was delayed, U760 might have been shelved indefinitely.

 

Lincoln has pretty much said they won’t go the EV route for the foreseeable future. I don’t think Lincoln’s customer would support and/or buy it.

 

It’s a real shame as it’s definitely the nicer of the two.

Well, maybe if it’s so nice Ford needs to go forward with the damn product instead of potentially shelving it!